Clemson Women’s Soccer Program Announces 2009 Recruiting Class

CLEMSON, SC – Head Women’s Soccer Coach Hershey Strosberg has announced the signing of nine players to national letters of intent for the fall of 2009. In his second season as the Tigers’ head coach, Strosberg will add nine freshmen from six different states (Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia) to the roster for the 2009 season.

“We are excited to welcome this group in the Clemson Family and for what they will bring to the team both from a personal and soccer standpoint,” said Strosberg. “These young women will add depth and increase the intra-squad competition within our team this fall, which will help make us better all around. This class has players that can make an impact at several positions and their versatility will provide us more options. I am confident that each of them will work hard to represent this program well and uphold the standards of Clemson Soccer.”

Brittany Beaumont, a midfielder/forward from Conyers, GA, earned four varsity letters in soccer and swimming at Salem High School. Her Salem High School soccer team was the Region AAAA champion from 2006-08 and a Georgia AAAA High School state semifinalist in 2008. Beaumont was named All-Area Offensive Player of the Year in 2007 and First-Team All-Region in 2008 by the Rockdale Citizen. She plays for the ’92 GSA Phoenix Red club team, which won the Georgia State Cup Championship in 2006 and 2007, and was a state semifinalist in 2005 and 2008. Her GSA Phoenix Red team was a Region III USYS Championship semifinalist in 2006 and 2007. Beaumont was a member of the 1991 Georgia ODP team and attended the Region III ODP camp from 2004-08.

Midfielder Kate Biggerstaff is from Granville, OH, where she attends Granville High School and plays for the Ohio Elite club team. Biggerstaff earned two varsity letters in tennis and one in soccer in high school. As a freshman, she was named to the Mid-State League’s second team in soccer, before suffering two consecutive ACL tears that kept her off the field for her sophomore and junior seasons. She played for the Blast FC club team from 2001-08, during which time her team won the state cup once and was a state cup finalist seven times. Biggerstaff was a member of the Ohio ODP team in 2004 and 2005 and attended region camp in 2004.

Katherine Carey is a defender/midfielder from Columbus, OH. She earned four varsity letters in soccer at Dublin Coffman High School. As a senior, she filled in as goalkeeper for her high school team and earned all-conference second team honors for her efforts. Carey has played club soccer for the Ohio Premier team and the Eagles.

Charlotte, NC native and defender/midfielder Callie Cavanaugh was a four-year letterwinner in soccer at Providence High School, where she earned all-conference and all-state honors in 2008. Her Providence High School team was the NC4A state runner-up in 2006 and conference champion in 2007. Cavanaugh plays for the Greensboro Twisters Green club team, which won the NCYSA state championship in 2008-09. She was a member of the ’90 North Carolina ODP team from 2003-08, the Region III pool from 2003-06 and the Region III team from 2007-08. In 2005, Cavanaugh was a member of the ’90 Super Y National pool, and in 2006 and 2007, she was a member of the ’90 Super Y National team.

Meghan Duffy, a defender from Atlanta, GA, was a four-year starter on the Marist High School varsity soccer team. Her high school team won the Georgia State Championship in 2008 and Duffy earned Second Team All-Area/City Team honors that season. She plays for the Tophat Soccer Club team, which won the Region III Premier League Championship in 2008 and the Georgia State Cup championship in 2006 and 2007. Meghan is the sister of current Tiger rising sophomore and 2008 starting defender K.K. Duffy.

Forward Maddy Elder is a native of Roanoke, VA and a four-year varsity letterwinner in soccer at Hidden Valley High School, where her team won the Virginia AA State Championship in 2006 and reached the state semifinals in 2007 and 2008. Elder was the leading goal scorer in girls’ soccer in Virginia’s High School Division AA in 2007 and 2008. She earned first-team all-state, all-region and all-district honors in 2008 and won the High School Golden Boot Award in 2007 and 2008. She was named All-Timesland Player of the Year in 2008 and was her high school team’s MVP that season. Elder plays for the Roanoke Star club team and was a member of the Virginia State ODP team from 2003-08.

Kris Gasparovic is a goalkeeper from Rochester, MI. She earned four varsity letters in soccer and basketball at Rochester Adams High School and was named to the all-league team in soccer in 2007. Her Rochester Adams team was district and regional champions in 2006. Gasparovic currently plays for the FC Milwaukee club team, which won the state championship in 2009. She played for the USL Gators club team from 2003-07. The Gators were the Michigan State Cup champions in 2006 and reached the state finals five times. Gasparovic’s Michigan ODP team, which she played for from 2003-08, reached the ODP National Championships in 2007.

Defender and Naperville, IL native Heather Marik earned varsity letters in soccer as a freshman and sophomore at Neuqua Valley High School before suffering an injury that kept her off the field for two seasons. She played for the Eclipse Select 90/91 club team, which was a six-time IYSA State Cup champion and U-17 Midwest Region II champion and U-17 National finalist. She played for the Illinois ODP Region II team from 2005-07 and the Interregional Tournament Team (FL) in 2006 and 2007. She was a member of the Illinois State ODP team from 2004-07. She attended the U-15 U.S. National Team’s pool training camp in 2006 and was a member of the U-15 U.S. National Team Nike Friendlies (CA) that year.

Emily Tatum, a midfielder/defender from Richmond, VA, was a five-year varsity letterwinner in soccer at The Collegiate School and also earned two varsity letters each in winter and spring track. Her Collegiate high school team won the Virginia State Championship in 2008 and was the League of Independent Schools (LIS) champion from 2005-08. Tatum earned All-LIS honors all four years of high school and was named All-Metro and First-Team All-State in 2007 and 2008. She plays for the Richmond Strikers club team, which won the Virginia State Cup championship in 2006 and was the Region I champion and National finalist in 2007.